Navy faces ‘choppy waters’

The movement of Royal Navy vessels in and out of five UK ports could be severely disrupted, as tug boat crew ballot for strike action in a national pay dispute.

Portsmouth, the home base of the navy’s new prestige £3.1bn aircraft carrier Queen Elizabeth, the navy’s largest-ever surface warship, could be affected.

 
Unite, which represents the 350 tug boat crew employed by Serco Marine Services, said the other four ports that could affected are at Greenock, Faslane, Kyle in Scotland and Devonport.

Voting papers for strike action will start being delivered from Friday (October 6) to the tug boat crew, who work for the company on the Ministry of Defence contract in the five ports. It will close on Friday, October 20.

The ballot for strike action, follows an overwhelming rejection of the imposition of a 1.8 per cent pay rise for 2016/7 and 2.2 per cent for 2017/8.

Unite national officer for the docks Bobby Morton said, “If our members vote for strike action it will create choppy waters industrially and be highly disruptive as naval vessels need the tugs to help navigate them to open water.

“Serco Marine Services has imposed a derisory pay award when inflation is taking off – the retail price index (RPI) is standing at 3.9 per cent currently.

“The maths doesn’t add up for our members who are struggling with rising household bills,” he added. “They need to be recognised for the skilled work they do in all weathers.

“The only way to settle the dispute is for the company to withdraw the unilateral imposition of the pay award and return to the negotiating table with Unite for constructive talks.”